Saving for an Ashford Country Spinner...

I'm a one wheel girl and to be honest I've never tried any other wheels other than Ashford traditionals. BUT THEN I tried Mandie's beautiful Ashford Country Spinner and the results... considering it was a first spin in uncharted territories, were delightful.

Of course Mandie's rovings here are so beautifully hand-dyed that I could have dragged 'em behind a train and they would still be so pretty. hehe... She has other rovings for sale at her eBay store called Ewe- Give-Me-The-Knits.

I kept Mandie and her adorable kids company as she set about discovering her spinning Mojo...and for a thankyou she gave me an amazing gift. (And a yummy lunch!...I'm so spoilt!!)

Now to go off on an irrelevant tangent...I was mentioning to Tye the other day...I'm not a superstitious person at all...but one little practice I do indulge is to "touch wood" if I think about something a little bleak. When I touch wood I instantly stop thinking about it and move about my day. It kinds of realigns my thought patterns. It got me thinking maybe this is why there are so many people out there who are drawn to the medative delight of spinning with our beautiful timber spinning wheels. Just a thought.

Anyway..thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings...and thanks to Mandie for a fun day. All the best with your spinning.

Best wishes, Ruth..xxx Of course any yarn enquiries can be sent through to Sheepychic AT hotmail DOT com. Bye for now...

My wheel has it's Mojo at the moment....

Although a simple timber inanimate object, sometimes I swear my little ol' wheel has spirit. As I've explained before, my country cousin, Daryl, tracked down this wheel for me. When I finally had it here in my home (and had been fiddling around with it with no spinning knowledge at all) I found the precious little hair bobby pin loving shaped into a little hook (for pulling yarn through my wheel's orifice) with a little leather strap and a length of cotton string tied onto the end, simply hanging from the eyelet which holds the brake string.

My instinct tells me that the woman who made this simple hook loved this wheel. She loved spinning and she was efficient and organised. I had been spinning for quite a while when I realised that the leather and the string were backup spares for the wheel. I often wonder about her while I spin. Is she still in this life? Or has she gone on to the next? I'll never know...but I'd like to tell her that I love this wheel too. I'm not as organised as she was/is but I share the peace that spinning with this wheel brings. I share the medative rhythmic hum of its workings. I share the satisfaction of holding some beautiful freshly made yarn....

Which prompts me: My little Ashford traditional has a lovely Mojo happening at the moment. For some reason it's running bee-ewe-tee-fully and I'm having some really pleasing results. Check out these pictures...

Here is the cute little rovings my neice, S hand dyed during a Sheepychic Dye workshop these school holidays...see two postings ago. I've spun them up to a nice, simple little single...about an 8 ply or there abouts.

And also the dusty pink that P & D dyed...with Mums supervision, of course. I've plied it back with a simple gold thread, just to keep it simple and elegant.

Hehe...gotta love this fabulous fur-ball...It is some black alpaca simply plied over with some commercial stringy fancy yarn. It's colour really caught my eye..it is so cute. A bone colour with purple.

I know it's left-field, but I'm eyeing off this for some Sheepychic Stubby holders / water bottle covers. (see the previous posting) I know this isn't traditional handspun type yarn but it is divinely soft....and so unusual!

Anyway...that's it for Sheepychic bloggings for tonight. I'm off up to the country tomorrow and while I'm there I'm going to pop into have a spin and dye up with Mandie, a fellow fibre lover and Sheepychic regular. So Hi to you, Mandie and I'm really looking forward to catching up.

All the very best, Ruth.

Oh..of course, any enquiries on the yarn you see here or anything else Sheepychic you can contact my at sheepychic@hotmail.com.

Feel free to leave a comment and say G'day.....bye for now.

Summer brings so many things...like Sheepychic Wine Jackets!

I'm in the mood for knittin', and I'm in the mood for wine...I'm in the mood for laughin' .....'cos my bottle looks just fine! (not to mention it stays nice and chilly for a little longer.)

How Sheepychic is this funky bottle cover?!?!?!? Imagine taking this to the picnic races in with your basket of goodies?!?!?

It was pretty fun to make...I've used a Sheepychic handspun Merino plied through with a commercial yarn which caught my eye...really cheery peacock colours and a shimmer of gold. I've used the fab. 4...(double pointed needles) and shaped it with the bottle next to me. I know its an old house bottle of Shiraz but this is a proto-type!!

I got to thinking that it may be nice to see the label....so I put in a label window. Of course I can knit one straight through for those of us who...ahem...buy a more modest bottle..hehe!

One benefit of knitting straight through is that your Sheepychic Wine Jacket will just about embrace any ol' bottle...the lovely stretchy Merino enabled this jacket to fit nicely onto each of those bottle you see in the picture.

Of course, I haven't forgotten those who enjoy a can or stubbie of beer or softdrink.

Check out this neato little Sheepychic stubbie holder. It's still yet to have its label stitched on...so it's a sneak-peek.

All the best and thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings. Wine Jackets and stubbie holders may be ordered by emailing me at Sheepychic@hotmail.com ...or you can hang on and see a few listed in Sheepychic's blog store coming soon.

Best Regards, Ruth...xxx

Oh..and P.S. Tye, Ky & Finn....Here is Rafferty going beserk in a tub with some handspun. He's got good taste in yarn, that's for sure!

Sheepychic creative kids workshop....

Loads of noise, laughter and mini-creative genius's in the Sheepychic groove this weekend as the dyes come out and the kids get busy!!!

I'm still in my "Randomness" inspired phase...so I really enjoyed letting the toddlers go for it.....we didn't know what would happen!! Fortunately what did result was some adorable pinkie/dusty purple Merino X rovings that should spin up a treat....photos to see over the next week or too....hehe..

It was interesting to watch and assist the kids as they each thoughtfully hand dyed their rovings.

You could really see their individual personalities and thought patterns at work...and really...the results were so adorable. I can't wait to spin up these little creations!

You should have seen our outdoor area with all the bunches of roving drying on their hooks. It reminded me of an underwater scene...I felt like a mermaid in my own garden!! hehe!

Anyway...all the best and thanks for logging into Sheepychic Bloggings. Don't forget, any enquiries can come through via email on sheepychic@hotmail.com. Feel free to leave a comment and say g'day. Bye for now, Ruth.

P.S. Sheepychic blog-store will be coming soon....thanks for your emails!!

Sheepychic summer top

It's hard to get excited about knitting winter beanies when it's 36 C....I know I should be getting some stock together ready for some Autumn and winter markets, but shheeeeesshhhh!! For a break I started this neat little top for B during Tye's knitting group at Point Cook Homestead yesterday and finished it off this morning.

The yarn used is an oldie but a goodie. Its a sheepychic handspun (of course) and is a variegated blue plied through with white...100% Merino.

Needless to say, B is delighted. hehe...check out the photo. I was asking her "Why are you standing like that"? and she had no idea...does this go to show the power of media images or what !?!?!?

Later on she was scratching through my stash as I'd hinted at a matching skirt wrap. Even my patience was tested when she tried to ball up the hank when I was busy in the kitchen. What a tangle!!.....I guess she was trying to be all grown up....but in the words of a fine four fingered yellow gentleman..."YOU LITTLE $%^&*(@%$^". The poor kid was horrified, though...so no growling was necessary. hehe.

And on the much adored family pet front...a tiny update photo....We are supposed to be able to sex them very soon. Apparently boy mice have no nipples. (The things you learn on line!) Also mother mice are supposed to know when there is something wrong with their young and put them out of the nest. This is a lesson Sharna missed 'cos one of the babies front foot is totally malformed. Of course this one is the children's favourite. It doesn't seem to be unwell any other way.

All the very best, Ruth.

Cutest sock yarn ever....

My holiday relax bag held a couple of hanks from my stash, Tyes 4 double ended needles that she lent me, a trashy novel, hand cream and some other goodies. More importantly, however, is what it DID NOT contain. It did NOT contain my beginners step by step sock knit booklet. Ahhhhhh!!!

Not impressed! A week in the country with my gorgeous sisters and s.i.l. and not a sock knitting guide in sight.

Oh well....with nothing to lose I cast on and hoped that the knitting force was with me. It was.....I tried not to think too much and went for it. Meet Sock number 3 & 4....no pattern!

They're not perfect...but oh so cute. Check out the dropped stitch, though! sheeeeeesh! I didn't spot until I'd finished....

All the very best and thanks for logging into Sheepychic bloggings. Thanks for your emails, too...keep 'em coming! As promised, the Sheepychic Catablog will be up and running very soon...come back in a week or so and check it out.

Any queries or just to say G'day email sheepychic@hotmail.com. If you're a regular Sheepychic bloggie be sure to leave a comment and say G'day!!

Regards, Ruth....xxx